Harry Potter and the Groomer's Condition
by Finwitch1
Summary: Set in the Summer after Harry's fourth year. You'll learn about Groomer's Condition in second chapter. Because of it, Harry needs Sirius more than Dumbledore is willing to accept.
1. Chapter 1

'_Kill the spare.' Flash of green light. Cedric was lying on the ground beside him. He was dead._

'NO!' screamed Harry, and woke up with a start. He looked around, breathing heavily. His room was right mess – it looked like Peeves had been visiting and spent some time throwing furniture around. What was going on here? Before Harry could start anything, however, the figure of Uncle Vernon had appeared in the doorway.

"BOY!" Vernon bellowed angrily. "I don't care if that godfather of yours is coming or not, you will NOT be waking everyone up at this hour! And you better clean up this mess…"

Vernon's ranting, however, was interrupted when his mouth disappeared and a powerful force threw him out of Harry's room. Harry blinked at the sight. He was slowly beginning to understand – his magic had gone accidental, just like when Aunt Marge blew up. Only now it seemed to be much worse and totally out of control. He'd never had his magic react to nightmares before, so far as he could tell.

Harry closed the door and lifted his fallen desk back up and a chair beside it. Vernon's ranting had, despite of everything, give Harry an idea on what to do. He got out some parchment, ink and a quill and began to write.

_Dear Snuffles,_

_I don't know how to tell this, but I've just had a nightmare about what happened in that graveyard. My room looked like Peeves had a go on it. Then uncle Vernon comes in, yelling at me. Next thing I know, his mouth disappears and he's thrown out by some invisible force. I think my magic has gone accidental and someone had better come fetch me soon before I blow the house up and break the Statute of Secrecy._

_Yours,_

_Harry._

Harry closed the letter in an envelope and sent it off with Hedwig. He figured he'd better stay in his room to protect everyone in the house until he left. Harry began packing. Someone would be bound to come and get him soon.

"Put him right!" shrieked Aunt Petunia, coming into Harry's room.

"Can't do that," Harry said.

"What do you mean you can't?" she demanded.

"Don't know the spell for one thing," Harry replied. "Plus, I'm forbidden to use magic outside school until I'm of age. Accidental magic doesn't count."

"Stay in your room" she commanded and left.

Harry sat alone on his bed. He certainly hoped he was right about accidental magic not counting here. Otherwise he'd be in big trouble. He stayed there, musing about things until something pecked his hand. Harry opened his eyes and saw an owl with the Daily Prophet, waiting for payment. Harry gave him a few knuts and the bird flew away.

Harry looked at the newspaper. On the front page was headline news: Sirius Black found innocent. Harry smiled. That was great news. He drowned himself into reading the article. After he was finished, Hedwig returned with a letter.

Harry took it from Hedwig's leg, petted the owl and began to read.

_Dear Harry,_

_I suppose you're getting the Daily Prophet now, and may have already found that I am finally free. I'm sorry I didn't come out and tell you during the process, but I wanted it to be over before I told you, for I was uncertain how it would come out, despite the fact we caught the rat. The filthy rat was sentenced to the Kiss. I must still get a wand before I come and get you._

_Stay in the house until I come. Ask me to show you Padfoot. No imposter can fake an animagus form. We shall discuss further in person. I have plans to fulfill the offer I made you before the rat escaped us on your third year, but those must remain secret for now._

_Your godfather,_

_Sirius Black_

Harry smiled as he read the letter. No more Dursleys! He'd get to live with Sirius! Harry danced around the room happily.

Sirius came at noon and found Harry in the middle of flying objects. They stopped flying the moment Harry saw Sirius. Sirius smiled at him.

"Show me padfoot," Harry told him.

Sirius transformed into a big, black dog and then back again.

"You packed, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I have it all here," Harry said, patting his trunk.

"That was Lily's," Sirius said. "Do you know where your father's trunk is?"

Harry only stared at him. Sirius pat his shoulder. "I take it you knew nothing about it. Don't worry about it, Harry. I will see to this matter with your aunt."

A moment later Sirius came back, levitating a trunk. Then he shrunk it and put it into his pocket. He did the same with Harry's trunk and motioned Harry to come with him. On his way out, Sirius undid the spell Harry's accidental magic had landed on Vernon. Then he and Harry went outside. Harry smiled as he saw Sirius' motorcycle. Sirius gave him a helmet to put on.

"Does it fly, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but we won't be flying it in broad daylight on a Muggle area," Sirius told him.

Harry only nodded as he put his helmet on. Sirius sat on the motorcycle and Harry sat behind him. Sirius told Harry to hold on and off they went. Harry felt good leaning on Sirius as they speeded along the road.


	2. Groomer's Condition

Sirius stopped the motorcycle outside a large, old-fashioned, red-brick department store called Purge & Dowse Ltd. The place had a shabby, miserable air; window displays consisted of a few chipped dummies with their wigs askew, standing at random and modeling fashions at least ten years out of date. Large signs on all the dusty doors read: 'Closed for Refurbishment'.

"What is this place, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"St. Mungos hospital," Sirius replied. "I want you checked up and I don't know if I am in all that good shape either." Sirius talked briefly with one of the dummies, and then he and Harry stepped through the glass.

Harry glanced around at the patients there. He also noticed a portrait of Dilys Derwent, who apparently had been both St. Mungos Healer and Headmistress of Hogwarts. Sirius eyed the portrait. "Please tell Dumbledore Harry's magic is out of control and I'm having him here for a checkup by a healer. Nearly fifteen-year old boy should not have accidental magic."

Dilys nodded and vanished from the frame. The water container nearby exploded. Sirius pointed his wand at it and said: "_Reparo_". The container immediately went back together. Another flick of wand and the water went back in.

"Dumbledore will send me back to the Dursleys," Harry whined to Sirius.

"I don't think so, Harry," Sirius assured him, putting his arm over Harry's shoulders. "I told you I have a plan, didn't I?"

"Yes, Sirius, you did," Harry replied. "You still haven't told me what it is."

Sirius addressed the Welcome-witch at the desk, telling her of Harry's symptoms. She frowned. "Never heard of anything like that before," she said. "I shall appoint you to Healer Benegood. He's always interested in rare cases like this. Please wait over there."

Sirius and Harry sat at the appointed place, waiting. Sirius kept Harry entertained by telling him of the pranks he and Harry's father pulled at school. Harry laughed at them until a thin wizard with brown hair and long beard came to them.

"Hello. I'm Healer Benegood. I heard you had an interesting case here, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter. If you will follow me," he said and walked towards a door near the end of the corridor. Harry and Sirius followed him and entered to her office. He had few comfortable chairs; a desk on which was what Harry guessed was a pensieve. There was a bookshelf with books. The walls were empty of portraits, having only a few Muggle pictures on them.

The healer motioned them to sit and they did.

"So, what seems to be the problem with you?" the Healer asked.

"As you probably know I had to spend 12 years with only Dementors for company, "Sirius began. "Though I have lived a year out of their reach, I think I should have a checkup. My godson has lived with his Muggle relatives since his parents died and I don't trust them to have taken decent care of him. I just took him out today when he wrote to me about his magic going very accidental."

The Healer cast diagnostic spells on them. "Well then," he said. "You still have traces of Dementor influence deep inside, Mr. Black. You need to eat lots of chocolate, keep yourself busy and in a happy environment and you won't fall into madness."

Sirius nodded. He had assumed as much. "What of Harry?" he asked.

"Ah, yes. He suffers from malnutrition that has traces back to his childhood. Those Muggles didn't give him enough to eat, even though he obviously did not actually starve in their care. Is that correct?" the Healer asked Harry who nodded. "As for that accidental magic… now that's a trickier part. Do you suppose you could give me any indication as to how powerful a wizard you are?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know how I'd do that." Harry said.

"He managed to cast a corporeal patronus at the age of thirteen," Sirius said proudly. "Saved my soul that day, I might add."

Healer nodded. "You're a powerful wizard indeed, . And have you been in a stressful situation lately?"

Harry nodded briefly. The Healer wanted to see the event in his pensieve. Harry complied, but did not wish to enter it, though Sirius did. Then Hr. Benegood talked Harry trough about other incidents of accidental magic, paying special attention to Harry's emotions during the Aunt Marge incident, since that had taken place after Hogwarts. He also took notice of Harry's grades in charms and transfiguration.

Benegood looked at Harry seriously. "You clearly have what is known as Groomer's Condition. It is very rare and only occurs in the most powerful wizards and witches. It's developed by stress, suppressed emotions and lack of love and joy. You need to allow yourself to feel and express your emotions. You ought to be in a loving environment and certainly not around those Muggle-relatives of yours. Feel love and joy. You've been deprived of them for too long."

"May I have that statement in writing?" Sirius asked, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I may need it to gain official custody of him."

"Of course," Healer Benegood replied. "I'll also recommend spellcasting. Training I suppose. I shall give you that in writing, too. On other note, when did you last have your eyes checked, Mr. Potter?"

"When I was about five," Harry said. "That was the only time, and only because the school nurse told the Dursleys I had to get glasses."

"Get your eyes checked again. New glasses might help your performance in casting spells."

Harry nodded. They said their goodbyes and thanks to the Healer and headed out. Sirius took Harry directly to a wizard optometrist. Harry got himself new glasses that looked way cooler than his old ones, plus they had _lots_ of interesting charms in them. The glasses were on the expensive side, costing 200 galleons, due to some of the charms. Included was also a case for the glasses. Both of the best possible quality, of course.

Their next stop was the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius asked for a room from Tom. Once in the room, Sirius reached into his pocket and took out James Potter's trunk after Tom had left. He returned it to its normal size. He looked at Harry. "It will open only by your touch," he said.

Harry opened it. On the inside of the lid he saw a crest: Black pot on a golden shield.

"That's your family crest, Harry," Sirius said, looking at it by Harry's side. "Pot for Potter, you know."

Harry nodded and looked inside the trunk, finding it empty except for one letter. Sirius said he should read it. Harry did.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm writing this as you sleep in your cradle. Today you performed your first act of magic, summoning my invisibility cloak to cover you. Your mother and I had terrible time trying to find you until you grew hungry and began to cry. I'm going to let Dumbledore keep the cloak until you're ready to have it; I wish no repeat of today's search. You're just a newly born baby now. Doing magic this early means you'll be a powerful wizard one day._

_There's been a prophecy made, of you, it might be. I only know a part of it – saying that you, or possibly Neville Longbottom, will have the power to defeat the Dark Lord. This Dark Lord refers to Voldemort. He knows the same part of the prophecy I do. It is believed he'll try to circumvent it by killing you and Neville. Longbottoms have done the same as your mother and I; we have cast a Fidelius Charm, which keeps our location in secret inside one living soul, known as the Secret Keeper. The Secret Keeper to our family is Peter Pettigrew. He's weak and not all that brave. We have taken steps to make everyone believe that your godfather and my closest friend, Sirius Black, is the Secret Keeper. This is so he can lead everyone after him while Peter is safely hiding._

_If you're reading this, Harry, it means our plan failed and Peter was a traitor. Everyone is bound to believe that the traitor was Sirius. Do your best to convince them otherwise, son. Your reading this also means that I am dead, and most likely your mother is also._

_You can go live into the Potter Manor if you're not happy where you are now, for it is your inheritance as well as many other possessions. We have given you a trust fund – a vault for you to spend on school supplies and a little bit of fun. You're also in possession of the Potter fortune, which you cannot fully access without a guardian until you are of age. The key to the Potter Manor will magically transfer itself to Gringotts upon my death. Consult the goblin Midhook about the castle and our will. This trunk is magical, consisting of many departments. You access them by touching the crest with the palm of your hand and saying a password. The passwords are: Prongs, Flower, Padfoot , Moony and Wormtail. You may change these passwords anytime you like._

_Have fun with your life son, and remember that we love you._

_Your father,_

_James_

"You finished, Harry?" Sirius asked gently.

Harry nodded. "It says I own a Manor, and that they made a will. Goblin named Midhook should know more. The key to the Manor is in Gringotts. It also seems I own more than the 'trust fund' I have used so far… Where are we going to live, Sirius? I mean you also have a house, don't you?"

Sirius ruffled Harry's hair. "The Black Manor has too many unpleasant memories for me," he said. "I think we should stay at your place. Besides, you need to get to know your full inheritance. The Potter house-elves must also miss you very much."

"Why would they miss me? I've never even met them in my life" Harry asked.

"As the last Potter, you're their master," Sirius said. "They're bonded to you. They may keep the Manor clean while waiting for you, but they still miss your presence."

Harry shook his head. "Hermione will kill me" he said, as a chair began to levitate. "I actually own house-elves".

Sirius only chuckled. "Don't you worry," he said. "I think your accidental magic will shut her up."

Harry began to laugh too, and the chair stopped levitating. Then Harry asked what was going on with Voldemort.

"Don't know much, "Sirius said. "He hasn't been doing anything so far as I know. Dumbledore seems to be content with doing nothing as well. But speaking of that, you need to train. I intend to see you do that, and never mind how unprepared Dumbledore wants you to be. You also need to learn a few things to manage your heritage properly and aid you in this. Minister Fudge, as you may recall, is in denial. He's also been using the Daily Prophet to discredit both you and Dumbledore. With that going on I was lucky to gain my freedom due to politics."

"How did you manage to get it all done so quickly, Sirius? I mean it's only been two weeks…"

"Luck, Harry," Sirius said. "The liquid kind – also known as Felix Felicis. It's a potion that makes you succeed in all your efforts for a day. I found the recipe in the Black Manor and brew it. Then I decided to use it to gain my freedom."

"Anyone ever used it to win in a gamble?" Harry asked.

"Possibly. Such use of the potion is highly illegal though." Sirius said. Sirius explained how, under the influence of the potion, he had travelled in his animagus form to Voldemort's hiding place and acquired Peter as he had been sent to an errand. After that he had taken a photograph of Peter with the day's prophet and sent the picture to Amalia Bones with a letter requesting a trial, explaining how things had happened all those years ago. After being freed, Sirius had also registered his animagus-form.


End file.
